What is spinal cord Injury?

The spinal cord is a collection of nerves that travels from the bottom of the brain down your back. There are 31 pairs of nerves that leave the spinal cord and go to your arms, legs, chest and abdomen. These nerves allow your brain to give commands to your muscles and cause movements of your arms and legs.

Although the hard bones of the spinal column protect the soft tissues of the spinal cord, vertebrae can still be broken or dislocated in a variety of ways and cause traumatic injury to the spinal cord. Injuries can occur at any level of the spinal cord. The segment of the cord that is injured, and the severity of the injury, will determine which body functions are compromised or lost. Because the spinal cord acts as the main information pathway between the brain and the rest of the body, a spinal cord injury can have significant physiological consequences.

Most injuries to the spinal cord don't completely sever it. Instead, an injury is more likely to cause fractures and compression of the vertebrae, which then crush and destroy the axons, extensions of nerve cells that carry signals up and down the spinal cord between the brain and the rest of the body. An injury to the spinal cord can damage a few, many, or almost all of these axons. Some injuries will allow almost complete recovery. Others will result in complete paralysis.

Types of spinal cord injury?

Tetraplegia

Quadraplegia occurs in case of any kind of physical trauma that crushes and compresses the vertebrae in the neck. These injuries, which are the result of damage to the cervical spinal cord, are typically the most severe, producing varying degrees of paralysis of all limbs. Sometimes known as quadriplegia, tetraplegia eliminates your ability to move below the site of the injury, and may produce difficulties with bladder and bowel control, respiration, and other routine functions. The higher up on the cervical spinal cord the injury is, the more severe symptoms will likely be. This type of spinal cord injury may even cause paralysis of most of the body including the arms and legs.

Paraplegia

This occurs when sensation and movement are removed from the lower half of the body, including the legs. These injuries are the product of damage to the thoracic spinal cord. As with cervical spinal cord injuries, injuries are typically more severe when they are closer to the top vertebra.

Triplegia

Triplegia causes loss of sensation and movement in one arm and both legs, and is typically the product of an incomplete spinal cord injury.

Surgical Treatment for Spinal Cord Injury in India

Surgery to stabilize the spine can be performed from the back of the spine, called posterior spine surgery, or from the front of the spine, called anterior spine surgery. In some cases, both approaches may be needed, usually in two separate operations.

A fusion procedure involves attaching metal screws, plates or other devices to the bones of the spine to help keep them properly aligned. This is usually done when two or more of the spinal bones, also called vertebrae, have been injured. Small pieces of bone may also be attached to the injured bones to help them fuse into one solid piece.

The bone used for this procedure is usually taken from another bone in the body, most often from the hip. This does not damage the hip and makes the fusion more stable. If needed, a small surgery on the hip will be performed at the same time as the spine surgery.

What happens after the surgery?

Some people will likely spend time in an intensive care unit after spine surgery, including those who need support for breathing from a ventilator or special intravenous (IV) medications for blood pressure. Sometimes an ICU is needed just for overnight observation.

It is very common to need a cervical collar or other brace after surgery. The brace keeps you from putting stress on the healing muscles and bones. It will allow you to start getting out of bed about a day after surgery. If needed, physical and occupational therapists will also be able to work with you.

Dr Arun Saroha

Dr Arun Saroha is one of the best brain and spine surgeon in India. He has more than 15 years of experience of working at hospitals like Vimhans, Paras, Artemis and Max. He specializes in brain and spinal tumours, spinal instrumentation, decompression, fusion and fixation surgeries. He is presently associated with GNH Hospital and Max Hospital, Delhi and Gurgaon

Dr Vikas Kathuria

Dr Vikas Kathuria specialized in Neurosurgery from PGI Rohtak and has been doing all kinds of complex Brain Tumour and Spine Surgeries. He is Consultant Neurosurgeon at GNH Hospital Gurgaon and Max Hospital Gurgaon. He also specializes in all kinds of Head Injuries and management of critically injured patients.

Brain Tumour

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Stroke

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Spinal Tumour

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Spinal Cord Injury

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Disc Replacement

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Laminectomy

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Microdiscectomy

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Deep Brain Stimulation

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